Chairman of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission: Iranian Government Continues to Deceive the Agency and the Global Community

The Chairman of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission states that the Islamic Republic of Iran is deceiving the global community while advancing its "military nuclear program." Moshe Edri, the Chairman of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission, spoke on Tuesday, September 17, at the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, asserting that Iran continues to advance this program by acquiring relevant technologies and knowledge, as well as fissile materials in concerning quantities. He emphasized that there is no doubt that Iran is pursuing its "military nuclear program" with the aim of producing several nuclear weapons. According to the "Times of Israel," Edri added that Iran has secretly continued its nuclear activities at undeclared sites for years, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found conclusive evidence of these activities, including Iran's use of undeclared nuclear materials and equipment. The Chairman of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission stated that Iran has consistently failed to provide "credible technical explanations" regarding its nuclear activities and continues to deceive the IAEA and the global community. Edri also referenced Iran's "development, testing, and deployment" of long-range ballistic missiles and its support for terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East, stating, "A nuclear-armed Islamic Republic is not an option that Israel or the world can or should tolerate." According to estimates from the IAEA, Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity, close to the 90% needed for military use, and with further enrichment, it would have enough material to build three nuclear weapons. The United States emphasized on June 7 that there is no justification for Iran's accumulation of highly enriched uranium. President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that the United States will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons at any cost. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told the Persian section of Voice of America on September 23 that the U.S. still considers the Iranian government a "foe" and a "supporter of terrorism." Despite all the evidence and reports, Iranian officials continue to claim that they pursue their nuclear program solely for "non-military purposes." The Director General of the IAEA has stated that he will soon visit Iran for "important meetings" amid rising tensions between Tehran and the West over military cooperation with Moscow. There is a possibility of exchanging Russian nuclear technology for Iranian ballistic missiles; the U.S. and Britain have expressed concern. The warning from the U.S. and European powers regarding Iran's nuclear activities: the patience of the Board of Governors has limits. Concerns from the U.S. and the European Union regarding Iran: the risk of a nuclear crisis in the region is increasing. Grossi: Iran's enrichment activities continue at high levels; I am not scheduled to meet with Pezeshkian at the UN. Russia states it will review its nuclear doctrine. The claim by the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization: there is no diversion in our nuclear program.